misery loses her shit
by inexplicablyspookified
Summary: just a short thing i wrote one night. the title is silly but the fic is uh, less so. rip misery :(


"You're useless."

Misery didn't move from where she'd landed, ignoring the hushed whisperings of the caged mimiga. Her cheek began to ache from where he'd struck her, but she ignored that too, not wanting to give him the satisfaction.

"Why," the Doctor continued in a flat voice, "would you send that robot to the heart of the island, when it has already proved itself to be a determined nuisance. I thought I told you to destroy it."

Pulling herself to her knees, she took a deep breath, leaning on her staff for support.

"Sending it to the Labyrinth should have been a death sentence," she began, frustrated, before swiftly adjusting her tone and lowering her head in apology. "Nobody has ever escaped before, my lord."

"I see." 

The Doctor's back was turned, and for a moment she hoped that was enough.

Gods, she was tired. Having to move the Core all the way up to the Balcony and help the Doctor stabilise it had almost completely drained her, and she was beginning to feel it. All she wanted to do was pass out in a quiet corner somewhere. But no, _he_ wanted to yell at her and of course, she just had to sit and take it.

"So, not only did the robot escape, it also found a friend and somehow the two managed to almost destroy the Core." He turned to face her, his expression unreadable. "In less than a day, even."

"Sir-"

"Shut up." 

She did so, sagging back to the ground. Excuses wouldn't work, then. He wouldn't be satisfied until he'd taken his anger out on her.

She should've just destroyed the robot, really. Sure, he was tough, but a well-aimed bolt of lightning while he lay unconscious would've done the job.

_Was it just habit?_, she wondered, tuning out the Doctor's increasingly angry ranting. 

After all, she'd sent most of the remaining robots there after the war, and it had never been an issue. But then again, they'd mostly been helper robots, with no weapons or determination to do anything after their masters had abandoned them. This one… was different, wasn't he? Familiar. Both of them were, she realised, recalling the blonde one. Had she met them before? She'd think on it later, when she wasn't so exhausted.

"-sery. Misery."

A sudden hand on her shoulder caused her to flinch and try to pull away, but his grip was painfully tight. 

"Yes, my lord?" she asked, fighting to keep her voice even. _Don't touch me don't touch me don't touch me _, she wanted to scream, but - that would make it worse, really. 

"You weren't listening to me, were you?" 

She remained silent, staring at a crack in the stone tiles. 

"Do you ever listen? Is there something wrong with your ears?" 

His voice took on a mocking tone and he shoved, knocking her to the ground again. She let it happen, resting her aching head on her arms as she came to a stop.

_I just want this to be over._

"That would explain a lot. You seem incapable of understanding simple instructions." A sigh, and the sound of footsteps walking away. "Don't let the prisoners escape. Find and recapture that brat. Deal with one soldier robot. One lone soldier robot, against you, a powerful witch, and you managed to fail not only that, but all of those tasks spectacularly."

_This is my fate, isn't it? I asked for it. I deserve it._

"Hmm…"

_I'm so, so tired._

She didn't react as the tip of the Doctor's shoe nudged against her arm.

"I should just kill you, honestly."

"Then do so." 

"...what did you say?" 

Misery lifted her head, baring her teeth, and was rewarded with a minute sense of satisfaction as the Doctor stepped back. Enough was enough, and while she'd long resigned herself to blind obedience to her masters, something inside of her had finally snapped. 

She was already in trouble. Might as well _earn_ it.

The witch got to her feet unsteadily, taking a deep breath.

"I said," she repeated, a hint of challenge in her voice, "then do so. Kill me." 

The whisperings of the mimiga grew louder, but both sides ignored them as the Doctor turned to face her fully.

"You think I won't?" he asked, his expression unreadable. She shook her head, staring directly at him. 

"I think you can't, my lord." 

The mimiga fell silent as the two stared at each other. It was taking all her willpower to not keel over, gripping her staff so tightly she thought it might splinter. But she kept it up, maintaining eye contact. Finally the Doctor stepped back, rising up into the air.

"Let's test that out, shall we?" he said, a cruel smile on his face. "Kneel." 

It was an order and so Misery obeyed automatically, lowering herself to the cold stone floor. Her heart was racing, but strangely, she was calmer than she had been for a long time.

The Doctor was enjoying himself, making a big show of raising his arms, letting the crown's energy manifest and dance around. The mimiga had fallen silent now, cowering at the display and shielding their eyes from the growing light.

_Show-off._

"Goodbye, Misery."

The light flashed and expanded and as the Doctor pointed at her, she braced herself, and-

…

And nothing happened.

The light fizzled and died, leaving the Doctor with a baffled expression as her arms finally gave out and she collapsed, laughing and laughing and laughing until her chest hurt and she was gasping for breath, though she couldn't stop.

Despite everything, the crown was still hers. Her curse, her punishment, her shackle to this damned world. It always had been.


End file.
